Letter 11/24/12

Dear Family,
As the week unfolded and the events played out, the craziness and confusion of the Holiday season began to become evident.  Service filled the past week - everything from moving people out of the ward to pruning bushes at the Senior Center filled many of the spare moments we had.   Exchanges, conferences, and training also made the week full of insanity.  I did have the opportunity to go on an exchange with an Elder from Australia who is 26 years old but came out at the same transfer as I did.

As the week progressed and came to an end, my testimony of the Lord's timing was strengthened. To begin, a month and a half ago Elder Olsen and I were tracking when we ran into lady who was weeding her garden. We stopped and asked if she needed any help. She declined but showed us the rest of her yard and garden. As we left her with a card with out number on it, we also left an invitation for service.  Fast-forward to two weeks ago.  All of our appointments fell through leaving Elder Olsen and I puzzled over what we should do.  He had a strong feeling that we should go and see her.  We acted upon the prompting and went to her house.  When she invited us in, she mentioned that she was just thinking of us and would take us upon the offer to do service for her, but she had lost her number!  "Coincidence...I think not!"  She said she is the president of the Senior Center her in Milton-Freewater, and needed to clean the grounds.  We were more than willing to help! As we labored along side her, she asked our plans for Thanksgiving, we told her that we were eating at a members home, so she invited us for the following Friday (also known as "Black Friday").  We accepted her gracious invitation and she told us that her daughter's family will be there with her.  She also said that her daughter is a member of the church and had a son preparing for a mission! I believe this will be a wonderful opportunity to share the gospel in an environment she will definitely feel comfortable with.

Another assurance to build my testimony of the Lord's timing was the elder Pieper conference.  This General Authority took time out of his busy schedule to answer our questions.  He taught us according to our needs. In preparation for this conference Elder Pieper had us read "Seek Learning By Faith" (Elder Bednar, 2007).  He then expanded on how we need  to become the future with our learning process by: 1. Looking into the future with the assurance of faith that God will be there; 2. Looking into the past to see the evidence God has given us because of our faith; 3. Taking action in the present to "step into the darkness.

As we take these steps in our learning process, we will grow so much more than if someone is teaching us.  Elder Pieper also said we must teach our investigators the same way.  We shout NOT teach them that much; we, instead, should find their questions and then give them the material to find their answers.  This is the way God wants us to teach.

This principle of learning could not have come at a better time for the people we are teaching.  They have many questions, but never seem very satisfied until THEY have found the answer for themselves.  We are only to be conducts through which the spirit flows and gives direction.  As we help realize this, God blesses them and us with an edification of his spirit.

Elder Pieper also said that we should never be down-trodden. God gave us our agency and the ability to change our mind.  If something is going ary in our lives, understand the doctrine behind our doubt, and change your mind.  This simple yet marvlous council reassured me that God cares for us enough to allow us to feel pain and sorrow, but wants us to have the ability to"...make the best out of the way things turn out." (John Wooden).

After the conference, I had the opportunity to learn personally from Elder Pieper in a personal interview.  Although it lasted about 10 minutes, I learned and grew so much from the instruction he gave me.  He told me not to worry (which, for a worry-wart, its hard).  He said that we do not need to know every answer to every question.  The first thing they teach General Authorities is to say, "I don't know...YET!" I am grateful for all of you guys have done for me.  I love you!

Elder Rex Hamblin

P.S. Mr. Tonle beat Chuck Norris in a game of chechers.  In retaliation, Chuck invented racism.